Memories
by triplehhholic
Summary: A car crash on Christmas Eve gives Stephanie McMahon more than she could have bargined for..........HHH /Steph fic.
1. Chapter 1

Memories

Memories

Chapter 1

Christmas Eve 1998……….

She was running late. Panicked, she put her foot down on the gas as the tyres cut through the icy snow. Stephanie had wanted tonight to be so perfect. She wore his favourite dress. It was a black silk Donna Karan, very flimsy and it made her feel sexy. It came down to the middle of her thighs and she knew he loved her thighs. Even when they were out to dinner he could barely keep his hands from touching them. They would reach under the table squeezing them and rubbing his fingers along her flesh.

The black spiked heels she wore accentuated her long, toned legs. It was the best part of her body being she was a few pounds on the heavy side. He would always tell her he liked his woman curvy. And the underwear had been an easy choice. She wore a black lace push up bra, her creamy breasts spilling over the top of her dress. She knew he would really like it. He had a thing for black lace. His eyes would shine in appreciation when he quickly undressed her. He'd grab her then and begin to touch and caress her. She'd groan loudly with pleasure. She was on the way to his house where tonight he would give her pleasure of a different kind. She knew he was going to propose. She'd seen the diamond solitaire in the pocket of his black wool coat. Her stomach churned with anticipation. Her mind began to drift as she planned how she would respond.

She didn't want to appear too keen and eager. Maybe she would keep him dangling for a bit. John loved it when she played with him. Smiling, Stephanie turned the corner into the next street. Her unpractical shoes caught on the pedal and slipped off the brake. The car was still travelling at a fast and steady speed as it drifted across the tree lined street. The houses shone brightly with Christmas decorations on either side of her. The dazzling glare of the headlights momentarily blinded her. A truck was heading straight towards her. Her heart pounded wildly in her chest. Her foot frantically searched for the brake as she jerked the steering wheel to the right to avoid him. The heat was on full blast but she felt her body turn to ice. A tree stood directly in front of her and she braced herself for the pain. Her body was thrown forward as the metal crunched loudly on impact. Her head connected with the steering wheel.

Stephanie was left with the sensation that she was floating, like she was drifting off into space surrounded by blackness. She tried to make herself come back. For some reason, she knew she couldn't let the darkness consume her. A distant voice was calling her name. She had to focus on the voice. It would stop her from fading into the dark. The voice became a little louder, closer. Her eyelids fluttered open. She could feel the chill of the night air through her thin black coat.

"Steph, are you okay? My God, are you alright?"

Stephanie's confused blue eyes stared at the huge man crouched down in front of her. He looked worried as he stared intently at her. She swallowed hard. His fingers were brushing loose strands of hair from her forehead. His touch was extremely tender considering the size of him. He was huge. She recognised him of course. It was that wrestler, that Triple H guy. Her father constantly raved about his talent and what he could do for the future of the company. But what the hell was he doing here tonight? He didn't live in Conneticut. He should be at home with his family. It was Christmas for crying out loud. And why was he acting so concerned about her anyway? They had never even met properly let alone talked to one another. And the way he was looking at her, well it was just scary and plain weird. It was like he was really spooked that she had been in a car accident. Maybe he was delusional and thought being this nice to her could advance his career. He obviously didn't realise that Daddy dearest didn't gave a crap about her. Mr Helmsley's time and efforts were clearly being wasted. Stephanie shifted uncomfortably in the seat. Her head was pounding and it felt so heavy.

"Steph, talk to me. Do you want me to take you to the hospital?"

His brown eyes were concerned as they searched her face. Stephanie inhaled sharply as he reached across and unclipped her seat belt. She could smell his cologne. It was spicy and extremely intoxicating. It was making her dizzy or maybe that was just the bump to her head. Yep, that was probably it.

"Steph?"

The man Hunter had hold of her hand now. There was a feeling of intimacy as he began to rub her knuckles with his thumb. Stephanie quickly drew her hand away from him and saw the confused expression on his face. He was definitely freaking her out. She'd heard rumours he had been a player in his time but this was ridiculous. She had to get to John. He would be at home waiting for her.

"I'm fine." she mumbled.

Stephanie swung her legs out of the car. She had to get the hell out of here. Hunter stood up and stepped back in the snow. He held his hand out but she didn't take it. Her legs felt shaky as she stubbornly got to her feet. The cold instantly pinched her cheeks. It was freezing outside. The left side of the black Expidition was a mangled mess.

Wait a second. Why the hell was she driving an Expidition? This wasn't her car. She had a Corvette, a nice, shiny red one. Her parents had given it to her for her sixteenth birthday. It was her pride and joy.

"Where's my car? Where's my Corvette?" she cried.

"What the hell are you talking about?" asked Paul.

Confused, Stephanie staggered back in the snow.

"Be careful, baby." His hand gripped her arm gently. Stephanie stared at Hunter incredulously as she shook him off. Why did he keep touching her?

"Stephanie, what's wrong? Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine." she snapped. "I'll be fine."

She pushed back her hair as she slowly became aware of her surroundings. The large house she stood in front of was new and unfamiliar to her. There were pretty white lights hung along the eaves and the bare branches of the trees in the vast gardens. She could see the decorated Christmas tree in one of the huge bay windows. It was beautiful but she didn't recognise any of it. This wasn't where she had driven to. What was going on? She stared at the house in a daze.

"Hunter, where am I?" she asked timidly.

Stephanie slowly turned her head in his direction. She saw the look of utter amazement on his handsome face. His nose was scrunched in confusion as he looked at her, his blonde strands blowing behind him in the light wind.

"Hunter?" he asked her, taking a step towards her. "Why the hell are you calling me Hunter?"

Stephanie quickly frowned. Surely she hadn't got him mixed up with someone else. She was positive it was him. Mr Suck It, Hunter Hearst Helmsley. Besides, there was no way she could mistake that nose of his or his long blonde hair although it seemed much shorter than she remembered. It rested just below his shoulders. He had grown a beard too. She had to admit he looked pretty sexy in his faded jeans and leather coat. But he so wasn't her type. She preferred her men more clean cut and they usually had manners too. This guy continually swore and spat in the ring. He also had a thing about his dick if she remembered correctly.

"My name is Paul." He stared at her strangely as he rubbed at his chin. "You know that."

Stephanie shook her head. "And how would I when we've never properly met."

"What?!" he snorted.

Stephanie was taken aback. Shit. Now he sounded really freaked out. His brown eyes were wide as they scanned her face frantically. His big hand pushed back his hair from his face. He was looking at her like she was a crazy woman.

"Steph, we're married for Christ sakes. Of course we've met."

"Wh…what?" she stammered out, totally shell shocked. It was her turn to stare at him in disbelief. Married?! How on earth could she be married and to him? She was in love with a guy called John not Paul. What the fuck was going on here? Was this someone's idea of a joke? If it was, it wasn't funny. It wasn't the least bit funny at all.

"Are you drunk?" he asked.

Stephanie swallowed and managed to shake her head.

"Then maybe you're concussed or something."

His big hands reached out towards her face. Stephanie stepped back, her heels sinking into the crisp white snow. She could feel the goose bumps prickle on her bare legs. Paul's brown eyes looked at her tenderly as he touched her arm.

"Please. I just want to check you're okay."

"I'm fine, honestly."

"No, Steph. You're not."

"I just want to go home." she snapped shrugging him off.

"But this is your home baby. Your home is right here."

Stephanie looked at the strange building in front of her and shook her head. This wasn't her home. It couldn't be. Her home had a red door and coloured lights decorated the square glass windows. This one had nothing she recognised at all. There even appeared to be what looked like Laura Ashley curtains at the window. She hated fucking Laura Ashley.

"Look we really need to get you inside. It's freezing cold out here."

Stephanie began to slowly back away shaking her head. "I can't. I have to be somewhere."

She felt the sudden urge to run. She needed to get to John and everything would be okay. He would tell her the truth and stop this insanity. This Paul guy was a whack job.

"Please Stephanie. Come inside." he pleaded.

Shit. He was probably luring her in for the kill. You heard about these things happening on television all the time. It could be some sick revenge for all the shit her father had put him through. She knew Paul had taken a lot of heat for some incident in Madison Square Gardens a couple of years back. Maybe he'd reached his breaking point. The holiday season did a lot of strange things to a lot of weird people. She'd read somewhere that the murder and suicide rates doubled at this time of year.

"The baby might wake up any second. We can't stay out here and leave her."

Stephanie froze at his words as her big blue eyes stared at him wide with fear. A baby?...what baby? God, this was getting worse. She was married and now she was supposed to be a mother! She didn't have a single maternal bone in her body. She wanted a career. She was learning the ropes to take over her father's business. She had no interest in diapers or formula.

Stephanie suddenly felt the overwhelming urge to run. This honestly couldn't be happening to her. This was some sick, fucked up joke. Or a dream. Yes, that was it. This whole thing had to be a dream. All she had to do was wake up then this nightmare would be over with.

"Steph, please. You're starting to scare me here."

Stephanie swallowed back the lump building in her throat. There was something in his voice that moved her deeply.

"You and me both." she whispered.

Stephanie realised Paul's fear was genuine. She could see it in his deep brown eyes. He looked so scared, concerned and confused. His emotions terrified her to death. It made her realise that maybe there was an element of truth to what he had told her. Maybe she was really married to him. No. She couldn't be.

Staring at him like a woman at her own funeral, Stephanie slowly began to back away as her fear began to clutch at her chest. She needed to be somewhere, just anywhere except here.

"Stephanie, where are you going? You have to come inside."

"You don't understand. I don't belong here!" she screamed at him. The snow was cold on her feet as she turned and fled. Her heart was pounding wildly in her chest.

"Stephanie! Come back."

Her chest tightened in pain as she began to run from him. Tears began to stream down her cheeks. Paul's shouts were fading into the distance. She just kept running, her feet crunching in the snow. Her breath was a thin veil of vapour in the darkness. She felt a wave of relief wash over her when she realised Paul couldn't leave the baby behind. He couldn't come after her. But still, she kept running.

Stephanie didn't know where the hell she was going. She just knew she had to get out of here. She had to try and make some sense of this crazy situation. Because God knows this couldn't be happening to her. This just couldn't be her life.


	2. Chapter 2

Memories

Christmas Eve 2006………..

Stephanie's lips trembled with the cold as she turned into the tree lined avenue. She wasn't sure how long she had been walking. She had lost all track of time a long time ago. Her mind was in a total haze and her head continued to feel dull and heavy. It was only a few moments ago soft flakes of snow had begun to fall steadily from the black sky above. They were illuminated prettily by the bright white hue of the street lights.

Stephanie shivered as her feet moved wearily below her. They were numb and probably frostbitten. Her high heeled shoes weren't exactly practical for walking the streets but right now, that was the least of her worries especially when she had crashed her car and discovered she had a family she didn't remember. A husband and a baby of all things! She just couldn't figure out how the hell that had that happened. Okay, she'd banged her head but God, this was one hell of an hallucination - if she was actually hallucinating. Paul had truly got her spooked tonight. It was why she needed to speak to John. She needed someone she knew and trusted to talk to. He would tell her the truth and hopefully shed some light on this whole fucked up mess.

Stephanie tentatively approached the suburban two storey house that was in the middle of the row, the house that John had bought it six months ago. It was quaint and extremely charming and had some Christmas lights decorating the small porch. She had to admit that surprised her a little bit. John wasn't exactly the festive type. In the two years she had known him, he had never possessed a Christmas decoration let alone put one up. But that didn't matter because it was the exact house that she remembered.

A sense of relief washed over her as she made her way down the path. Even the door was the same. Her knuckles rapped against the chipped blue paint. She stomped her feet as she waited impatiently for him to answer and hugged her arms around herself protectively. The biting wind was blowing right through her thin material of her clothes. That was something else that had her spooked. She didn't recognise her outfit. She wasn't wearing the black Donna Karan dress. She was wearing a black pencil skirt and some white fitted blouse but she didn't even want to think about it. It would only lead to more questions. Questions John would hopefully answer if he answered the damn door.

Stephanie was about to knock once more when a light appeared in the small pane of square glass. She breathed a sigh of relief and heard the lock turn on the inside. An extremely pretty woman was standing looking at her strangely. Stephanie didn't know who she was. She was youngish, in her thirties perhaps. Her blonde hair was tousled and messy. She wore a short red satin robe that barely covered her body.

"Yes? Can I help you?" Her green eyes eyed her up suspiciously.

"John." said Stephanie. "Does John live here?"

"Yes he does."

"He does?" Stephanie cried out with relief.

Her shoulders instantly relaxed. The woman practically snarled at her as she nodded her head. Stephanie felt herself immediately bristle with anger. What was the bitch's problem? More to the point, what was she doing here? A sick feeling began to encompass her as she realised the answer to her own question. The woman's cheeks were red and flushed. She was practically standing there naked. Her lipstick was faded and smudged. It didn't take a genius to realise that she had clearly interrupted something. She had been having sex. This skank had been screwing her boyfriend.

Trying to remain calm, Stephanie tried to peer past the woman who had deliberately placed her body in between the door. A million questions were rushing through her head. It was taking everything she had not to tear the whore's hair out.

"Is he there? Can I talk to him?"

"Vanessa? Who is it?"

"John?" called Stephanie immediately recognising his voice. She heard the sound of footsteps. Vanessa was looking definitely less than impressed. Well, screw her.

"Stephanie?"

The door opened wider. The blonde reluctantly stepped aside. The blood pounded in Stephanie's ears as John appeared beside her but her mouth quickly parted in shock. What the hell had happened to him? His short dark strands were streaked with grey. His face was chubby and he wore a moustache. What was it with people growing facial hair?

She swallowed hard as she looked at him. John wore nothing but a pair of faded black jeans. They were torn at the knee and his gut sagged over the waistband. What happened to his washboard stomach after spending countless hours at the gym? He looked nothing like the man she remembered. Suddenly she felt extremely nauseous. She was struggling to speak as John stared curiously at her.

"What on earth are you doing here?"

"I…….." Her voice trailed off as she pushed back the lump in her throat. She just couldn't make sense of any of this.

"Not that it's not good to see you, it is. It's just been a while that's all." he smiled.

Stephanie let out a calming breath as she pushed her cold hands in her coat pockets. She noticed Vanessa sitting on the bottom step of the staircase. She was still eying her suspiciously.

"How….how long has it been exactly?" she asked hesitantly. She felt her body tense as she braced herself for his answer. Her feet shifted nervously on the wooden floor of the porch.

"God!" exclaimed John. "Well it will be almost eight years." His fingers raked through his hair.

Stephanie felt her stomach drop. Eight years. Eight fucking years! What the hell was going on?

"I never figured I'd see you again much less you show up on my doorstep."

"Why?" she asked a little quickly.

John looked at her surprised. "Well after you found out about me and Nessa we didn't exactly part on the best of terms."

"You were cheating on me?" she cried.

John stared at her incredulously. It was obvious he was confused. "Steph, are you okay? You're acting a little strange here."

"No." she said in a small voice. "Actually no I'm not."

She stood there trying to resist the urge to cry, scream. Her whole world had been turned upside down. Nothing was the same any more. What the fuck had happened to the last eight years and why didn't she remember any of it?

"Is there anything I can do for you?"

John's voice snapped her from her funk. She slowly lifted her head. She could see the look of pity in his eyes. It wasn't pity she wanted. It was answers. Answers she knew he couldn't give her.

"Do you know what happened to my Corvette?" she asked suddenly.

John looked at her strangely shaking his head.

"Then no, you can't do anything for me. Thank you anyway."

Stephanie turned to walk back down the pathway and lifted her hand in a wave.

"Goodbye John."

Her voice was an echo in the silence of the street. She heard the door creak behind her and click shut. Stephanie continued to walk along the snow covered suburbs where people were in their houses safe and content with their loved ones. They were waiting to celebrate Christmas. Stephanie's heart was heavy. Her face was blank and her mind was registering nothing at all. It was like it was blocking every little thing out. Everything was becoming way too much to handle. She didn't even notice the white convertible as it pulled up along beside her. The snow had dampened the strands of her hair. She could feel the water dripping from the ends onto her chilled, numb skin.

"Stephanie!"

She slowly turned round. It was Tina, one of the girls from her dad's office. Her kind face was peering out the half open window. She worked in accounts or something like that. She had briefly interned with her last year. Or was that nine years ago? Who the hell knew any more?

"I thought it was you. What on earth are you doing out here?"

Stephanie decided not to tell her the truth. It was just easier all round. The last thing she wanted was to eat her turkey dinner in a straight jacket at some mental asylum. She forced a smile as she approached the car.

"I was visiting an old friend. I was just on my way home."

"Aren't you headed in the wrong direction?"

Stephanie said nothing as she pushed her wet strands behind her ear.

"Can I drive you there? You don't want to be walking the streets at this hour. It's almost midnight."

Stephanie slowly nodded her head. She had nowhere else to go. Well nowhere where she wouldn't be faced with a million and one questions to answer. She knew she had to face up to the truth sometime. It might as well be tonight plus if she stayed outside a moment longer, she would probably die of hypothermia. She couldn't feel her body any more. She was numb from the waist down. She walked around to the passenger side and opening the door, she instantly felt the heat. Her body slowly began to thaw and her cheeks began to tingle as they drove along the quiet streets. The wipers pushed the snow to the sides of the windshield.

"Stephanie, are you okay? I don't know. You seem a bit strange."

Stephanie licked her cold lips before pressing them together in a tight smile. "I'm having a kind of bad day."

"It's not Paul is it?"

Stephanie's blue eyes stared widely at her. "You mean Paul my husband?" she asked seeking confirmation but deep down already knowing the answer. There was no hesitation as Tina nodded her reply. Stephanie sighed softly. "No, it's not Paul. I…. well I crashed my car today."

"Oh my God, are you okay?"

"I'm fine." she smiled. Well, at least physically she was. Mentally, well that was a whole other ball game.

Stephanie rested back against the seat enjoying the warmth of the car. Thankfully Tina chatted on about some party she had attended with her friends. Stephanie was content just to sit and listen. She wasn't in the mood for small talk anyway and ten minutes later she was standing in the driveway of her home. The red tail lights of Tina's car disappeared from sight as she stood in the driveway and noticed the Expedition had been moved. It was no longer attached to the tree and sat just in front of the red double garage door.

She slowly walked towards the house, her footsteps crunching underneath her. The snow had eased off slightly. The flakes swirled and drifted lazily to the ground. Tucking her damp hair behind her ear, she approached the pretty double wooden door. Glass panels framed it on either side. The lights from the house shone brightly through them. She noticed her hands were lightly trembling as she reached for the shiny handle. She exhaled slowly before walking into the house.

Her heart was pounding in her chest as her heels clicked against the marble floor. Stephanie shut the door softly behind her and gazed around the large hallway. She shook the drops of melted snow from her thin black overcoat. A beautiful winding staircase stood a few feet ahead and a garland of holly and berries decorated the carved banister. The whole place smelled of Christmas to her. It was like festive spices and mulled wine. But her body immediately tensed as she heard the footsteps in a room just to her left.

Stephanie slowly turned her head and saw Paul standing in the doorway. His navy shirt hugged his massive frame and hung loose from his dark jeans. She noticed he was barefoot. His concerned brown eyes were watching her. The phone dangled between the fingers in his big hand.

"Are you okay?" he asked tenderly.

Stephanie swallowed thickly taking a moment to find her voice. "Yeah…..I'm fine."

Paul nodded and glanced briefly at the floor. She could see his shoulders move with his steady breathing and when he lifted his head, there was no mistaking the worry or the anger in his expression. He took a step towards her.

"Where the hell have you been Stephanie? You've been missing for hours."

Stephanie bit down on her lip. She didn't know what to say. She was still struggling to take it all in so she stood watching him vent.

"Do you have any idea what you put me through? I had no idea where you had gone. I called the hospitals thinking you could have had another accident or something. I was almost on the phone to the morgue for Christ sakes."

"I'm sorry." She shook her head in frustration, her hair brushing over her shoulders. "Please. Just stop yelling at me."

Paul sighed loudly and pushed his hair back from his forehead. It fell softly around his face. "Where were you, Steph?" he asked calmly.

"I had to find somebody."

"Who?"

"Just……just someone. I needed to talk to them. I needed to find out the truth."

"The truth about what?" asked Paul, confused.

"Look you don't understand. I don't live here. This is all very strange……this is not my house."

Paul raised his eyebrow fractionally as he watched Stephanie begin to pace the hall.

"I'm not a Mom." she said suddenly. She turned at pointed to him. "And you're not my husband, Paul."

He looked at her as if she was mad. "What? You're not making any sense, Steph."

"And you're not listening to me!" she shouted in frustration. Her blue eyes were wide as she glared at him. "I don't remember any of this. I don't remember you. It's like………it's like I crashed my car, banged my head and lost eight years. I'm here but I don't have a clue how I got here in the first place."

"So, you've lost your memory?"

Stephanie swallowed thickly and nodded. "It seems like the only explanation."

"Then we have to get you to a hospital."

Paul took off towards the stairs. Stephanie immediately gripped his arm to stop him.

"No, Paul." she said sharply.

His deep brown eyes stared at her as if she was crazy. Maybe she was but all she knew was she didn't want to be stuck in a hospital bed at Christmas. Besides what could they do for her anyway? The damage was already done. There was no pill she could take to cure her amnesia if that's what it was.

"Maybe I'm just in shock or something." she rationalised. "A good night's rest will probably do me the world of good."

Paul looked at her sceptically. "I don't know, Steph. What if this is serious?"

"Surely I would have keeled over by now." she joked.

"That's not funny."

"I know."

Stephanie sighed heavily. She noticed her hand was still gripping his arm. She let her fingers fall away. That was when she noticed them. It was funny she hadn't seen the jewellery before now. She could hardly miss the beautiful diamond or the delicate gold band she wore on her left ring finger. She stared at them almost mesmerised. It was if her eyes had been opened by admitting the truth to herself. So she was married to Paul. She just hadn't let herself see that before now. She had been far too scared too. She still was. She didn't know him. Her husband was a total stranger to her, at least in her mind. A sense of uneasiness began to wash over her once more.

"Promise me if you're not better after tomorrow, then you'll go. No arguments."

Stephanie slowly nodded her head.

Paul smiled softly seemingly satisfied. His hand lifted and tenderly brushed away her hair from her forehead. His fingers lightly traced her brow. Stephanie winced slightly.

"You've got some light bruising but it doesn't look too bad. Is your head sore at all?"

"Just a little." she breathed.

"There's some Tylenol in the medicine cabinet. You go get ready for bed and I'll bring you a couple. I'll just go and fetch you some water first."

His lips tenderly caressed her forehead and they felt soft and warm against her skin. Stephanie felt her breath catch in her throat realising she felt uncomfortable at the level of intimacy between them. After all, she didn't feel anything for him although there was no denying Paul was attractive. In fact, he was totally gorgeous. It was funny how she'd never really noticed that before. Then again, he'd just been another member of her father's talent to her.

Stephanie stood there frozen as he turned and disappeared through a doorway. She swallowed thickly as she tried to remain calm. There was no need to freak out here. She was married to him for God sakes. She was going to have to stop feeling so weird when he touched her. It just felt really strange that's all much like this whole situation did.

Stephanie wandered up the carpeted staircase feeling suddenly lost. She had no idea where she was going. Several doors hung on either side of the upstairs hall. She had no clue which one was her bedroom. Leaning on the arm of the banister, Stephanie removed her heels. As her burning soles sunk into the soft, plush carpet, she wiggled her toes in pleasure. The shoes dangled from her fingers. It was a relief to get them off. She must have walked for miles and her feet were absolutely killing her.

As she crossed the landing, Stephanie spotted an open crack in one of the doors. She decided to try it first. It was obviously a room they used. As she pushed on the heavy oak panels, the door creaked very softly.

The first thing she noticed was the roof illuminated in light. It looked like the room's very own night sky with the moon and the stars shining brightly on the shadows of the ceiling. The large wooden cot was just below it. All she could make out were some blankets poking out between the thick spars. A rocking chair was over by the pretty bay window. A huge soft teddy bear sat upon it and it wore a huge bow around its neck. Her heart thumped wildly in her chest as she realised this was the nursery. Stephanie lingered in the doorway. For some reason she felt afraid to even walk into the room. She had somehow forgotten about the baby in the midst of everything else or maybe her mind just hadn't wanted to know. The very idea of being a mother terrified her. She couldn't be responsible for herself, never mind a tiny child. Yet somehow this other Stephanie, this person she was now, had wanted all of this. She'd managed to find the courage to have a family of her own. Or maybe she'd just found the right person to start it with.

"It's okay. You won't disturb her."

Paul's hushed voice from behind her startled her. She placed her hand over her chest and turned to him. He was smiling at her softly and soft shadows from the night light fell across his handsome face. Stephanie licked her dry lips.

"We have a daughter?"

Paul nodded. "Her name is Aurora Rose."

A slow smile crept across her face. "Sleeping Beauty was my favourite fairytale when I was a little girl."

"I know." he replied simply.

"How old is she?" Stephanie asked, gazing over towards the cot where the baby slept.

"Actually she's five months old today."

Stephanie tiptoed towards the cot suddenly curious about her daughter. She could sense Paul following behind her. She slowly approached the cot and let out a slow breath. She felt a tightening in her chest as she gazed down at her little girl. She looked perfect, like an angel. Her long lashes rested against her chubby, filled out cheeks. Her hands were clenched into tiny fists as she slept peacefully. She looked so loved and cared for.

"She's so beautiful." she whispered suddenly feeling overwhelmed by her.

Stephanie's eyes glossed over with tears as her hand reached into the small cot. Her fingertips softly traced the skin of her cheeks. Aurora felt so warm and real. She sniffed back the tears that threatened to fall as Paul's hand rested gently on her shoulder.

"She's got your eyes, Steph. They're always open and watching us. It's like she's witnessing something really amazing every time. And then there's her smile. It's beautiful and heart breaking. Her cheeks get so large and fat when she smiles."

Stephanie felt touched by her husband's words as she turned her head towards him. She could hear in his voice just how much he loved his daughter. She had no doubt she was the apple of her daddy's eye. Paul was obviously an amazing father. She just prayed she was half as good a mother.

"And there is just one baby, right?"

Paul chuckled lightly and rubbed her arm affectionately.

"I mean I don't have an entire brood about to jump out in front of me?"

"No." He smiled at her gently. "It's just Aurora for now. In fact it was just last Christmas we told our families you were pregnant. You were bursting with excitement. You couldn't wait to tell everyone."

Stephanie smiled at him sadly. "I just wish I could remember that."

"You will, Steph." Paul squeezed her shoulder, trying his best to reassure her. "Your mind is just confused right now. You'll feel better after a good night's rest."

Stephanie sighed and tilted her head downwards to gaze at her daughter. She prayed Paul was right. She hated feeling so lost and confused. Hopefully when morning came, things would be back to normal, whatever normal was.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Stephanie moaned softly as she stirred in her sleep, her arm flinging out to the side and hitting against the mattress. She rolled over onto her back, her chestnut strands fanning across the soft, cream pillows and the covers tangling loosely between her long legs. As she turned her head to the side, the rays of moonlight from the slatted blinds fell upon her face. Slowly, she opened her eyes and began to come round vaguely recognising her still unfamiliar surroundings. It was the place she had fallen asleep. The bed she apparently shared with Paul before tonight.

Sighing heavily into the shadowy darkness, Stephanie sat up in bed and let the sheets fall down around her waist. The cool air instantly chilled her bare arms. She rubbed at them realising this really wasn't a dream. She really was living some other life that she didn't remember anything about and she really had a daughter and a husband; something she was trying so hard to process.

Stephanie lightly shook her head in disbelief as she reached over and switched on the light on the nightstand. It bathed the room in a soft glow and her eyes blinked as they adjusted to it before falling on a framed photograph lying next to her on the covers. She had been looking at it before sleep overcame her. Stephanie licked her dry lips as she lifted it up. It was her wedding picture. The woman she had become was looking at Paul and smiling. In fact, she was beaming widely at him and they both looked so unbelievably happy and so in love with one another. Stephanie's mouth quivered in a soft smile as her fingertips traced the cool glass. It appeared as though she got her fairytale ending after all but it just made her wish she had the memories to go along with it too.

Stephanie placed the photograph back down and her eyes fell on the empty space next to her. Her fingers reached across and traced the cool, crisp sheets. Paul was sleeping in the guest bedroom tonight. She didn't even have to say a word to him. He understood her and knew that she had felt uncomfortable and weird about sharing the same bed with him. He'd really been so amazingly sweet about the whole thing. He'd even given her a toothbrush and her pyjamas before leaving and whispering good night. As the door had closed behind him, it had been on the tip of her tongue to ask him to stay. She didn't know why she had felt that way. It was probably the guilt of watching him leave or maybe despite the weirdness, she didn't actually want to be alone. Everything was so scary and confusing to her.

Stephanie sighed as she felt her headache returning. She lifted her hand to rub at her temple. It had been one hell of a bang to her head. Not only was she sore and bruised, she was completely clueless about everything and even had her doctor baffled over that one. See unbeknownst to her, Paul had called and asked him to check her over and he had left just a few hours ago. There were no signs of a concussion and no reason why she had suddenly lost eight years of her life. Physically, she was fine but mentally it was a whole other ball game.  
Stephanie swung her legs over the side of the bed. She got to her feet and shuffled towards the door. She needed medication and she had to find it before her head exploded. Paul had brought her some Tylenol earlier. She was sure he had gotten them from downstairs.

As she opened the door, she pulled up the thin strap of her red pyjama top that had fallen from her shoulder. The hallway was in silence as she made her way cautiously towards the stairs. Her bare feet sunk into the plush carpet, the floor creaking softly underfoot. Fortunately the moonlight streaming through the large window over the staircase helped guide her way. It had obviously stopped snowing outside. The sky appeared black and scattered with stars. Stephanie made her way down the stairs inhaling the spicy aroma of the decorative garland on the banister. She loved the smell of Christmas. She descended the final step and gave a startled gasp as her bare feet hit the cold marble floor. The damn thing was freezing. She lightly cursed as she stubbed her toe on the edge of the staircase and searched for a door vaguely resembling a kitchen. That was when she saw the crack of light filter through the tiny gap at the floor. Stephanie curiously made her way towards the heavy oak and slowly, she pushed the door open further.

The first thing she saw was the beautiful Christmas tree sitting in front of the impressive sash window. The white lights twinkled prettily as they danced across the walls of the large modern living room. The other Stephanie seemed to have pretty good taste although the heavy drapes hanging to the floor were definitely Laura Ashley. She hated Laura Ashley – or at least she used to but thankfully they were plain and not patterned. She could probably live with that. Stephanie smiled to herself as she wandered across to the mocha leather sofa. There were pieces of something scattered across the polished wooden floor and she peered at it as she bent down a little closer.

"It's a baby walker or at least it's supposed to be."

Stephanie jumped startled at the sound of his deep voice and placed her hand across her chest. Her heart was thumping wildly as she turned round to face Paul. He was smiling at her apologetically as he flipped a screwdriver between his fingers. She noticed he had changed clothes from earlier on. He was wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and a pair of matching track pants. At least he had the sense to wear socks on his feet. His long blonde hair was tucked behind his left ear.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to scare you."

Stephanie swallowed thickly and smiled. "That's okay. My heart managed to stay in my chest. Just."

Paul laughed and she found herself grinning back. His big brown eyes were twinkling brightly at her. His whole face really came alive when he smiled. Stephanie's hand dropped to her side as he sat down heavily on the sofa. It creaked softly underneath his weight. She took a step back unable to stop admiring him. He truly was a beautiful man. She had certainly lucked out in the eye candy department that was for sure. Paul more than compensated for the other Stephanie's awful choice in drapes.

"Couldn't you sleep?" he asked.

Stephanie shook her head, her hair brushing across her shoulders. "And it looks like I'm not the only one." she smiled crossing her arms in front of her.

"Well you can blame good old Santa for that one." His big hand gestured towards the floor as he sat back against the cushions. "He didn't have the decency to build the walker up himself."

"The bastard!" she joked. Her big blue eyes were wide as they smiled at him.

As they sucked him in, Paul resisted the urge to go over to Stephanie and pull her into his arms. God knows he wanted to so much. He wanted to hold her tight and never let her go. Tonight had really freaked him out. For one split second he even feared he had lost her. Seeing her hunched over in the car like that had made him feel so sick inside. In fact he had been dangerously close to puking until he had yanked open the door and saw her eyes flutter open. Then he felt the relief wash over him. And Stephanie had seemed fine until she had started acting really strangely towards him. At first he thought she was just dazed until he realised she really didn't recognise him. When she had ran off it had taken everything he had not to chase after her but he couldn't have left the baby alone. Still he had been going out of his mind until she had finally shown up. He'd called every hospital in the entire state looking for her. He hadn't wanted to call her family though. There was no point in everyone being worried. Vince and Linda would have had a fucking conniption about it and he couldn't have dealt with that, not when he was struggling to cope as it was. Besides, they would have called if she had shown up especially acting the way she had been. Her reaction had been so horrible and scary to him.

He had hated the way she had flinched from his touch and it was so hard to keep his distance from her. He never could with Stephanie. He touched her every chance he could. Kissing her or holding her just came naturally to him like breathing. It was something he did subconsciously. Like now with her standing there looking so beautiful and pulling on her bottom lip like that. He had the overwhelming need to kiss her with everything inside him showing her just how much he loved her. Of course he couldn't. Instead, he just had to pray that she would remember. At least she seemed a bit more comfortable around him for now.

"Did I choose this for the baby?" asked Stephanie as she sat down on the sofa just inches apart from him and the cushions shifted underneath him.

"We both did."

Stephanie looked at him and he smiled.

"Well, after you dragged me kicking and screaming from the house."

Stephanie laughed and grabbed the large padded cushion from beside her. She turned in the seat to face him. Tucking one leg underneath her she hugged the cushion to her chest. Her other leg stretched out in front of her on the floor. Paul continued to smile at her fondly. Stephanie may have lost her memory but her mannerisms hadn't changed at all. It was the exact same way she sat every time they talked. She always liked to be facing him. In fact she'd been in the very same spot the night she had told him she was pregnant. She'd sat him down the minute he had gotten home. Her entire face had been animated as she had given him the news. She'd practically screamed with excitement and her long arms had wrapped around him, literally squeezing him to death. He'd held onto her just as tightly. It was a life changing moment he would never forget.

"Tell me how we met." Her voice was soft and curious as it interrupted his thoughts.

Paul was taken aback at her sudden question and how calm she seemed to be on the surface at least. Her eyes were eagerly searching his face as she waited for his answer. He absently scratched at his beard tossing the screwdriver to the side. It gave a thud as it hit the cushion. "Where do you want me to start?" he smiled.

"Well, the beginning is usually a good place."

Paul shook his head and chuckled. "You've always got to be the smart ass."

"I'll have to take your word on that." smiled Stephanie almost sadly as she watched Paul twist the wedding band on his thick finger. It looked pretty against his tanned skin. It reminded her of the wedding picture in the bedroom. The ring had been in plain view as his hand rested on her shoulder. Suddenly her curious mind was filled with questions. Questions she was surprisingly ready to face now she had somehow accepted the truth about her life. She nodded briefly prompting Paul to start. He licked his lips as he stretched his arm across the back of the sofa.

"Well I guess we only really got to know one another when we started working together."

Stephanie's eyebrows raised in surprise. "We worked together?"

Paul nodded and grinned. "I drugged you and married you."

"And people say romance is dead." laughed Stephanie. "I assume that's not what happened in real life?"

"Nope. In real life, you were the one that drugged me." he smirked.

Stephanie shook her head in amusement as she flicked her hair back from her shoulder. "I guess I was desperate to make you my husband, huh?"

"Not as desperate as I was to make you my wife."

As his words worked their way into her, Stephanie swallowed thickly. There was something in his voice that moved her inside. His big brown eyes conveyed such emotion and as she watched him, she hugged the cushion a little more tightly to herself.

"But I guess if we're going back to the very beginning, there was a time when we met about a year before we even had started the storyline. It was the company Christmas party and you said something pretty strange to me." Paul said.

"Strange?"

Paul nodded as he tucked a lock of hair behind his ear. "The moment you looked at me you smiled and said "I knew it would be you.""

"Why would I say that?" she asked, her nose wrinkled in confusion.

"That's exactly what I thought. I just assumed you were either a crazy woman or completely loaded."

Stephanie chuckled and swatted her cushion at him. Paul's shoulders shook with his deep laughter as she rested it in her lap and adjusted the strap of her pyjama top. "Thanks a lot. It's nice to know your first impression of me was so complimentary."

Paul shrugged his shoulders and grinned. "If it makes you feel better, it completely changed a few seconds later."

Stephanie looked at him cautiously. "Do I even want to hear this?"

"It's all good. I promise."

"What was it then?" she prompted.

"Wow." he said simply.

Her lips upturned into an amused smile. "That's it? Wow?"

Paul nodded his head. "It was the first time I really noticed that Vince's little girl was all grown up." He smirked at her mischievously. "And it was in all the right places too if you know what I mean."

Stephanie laughed and threw the cushion at him. It landed on his head. Messy blonde strands hung around Paul's face as he threw it to the floor. He was about to say something when the soft whimpers filled the room and Stephanie looked around startled.

"It's the baby monitor." explained Paul pointing towards the fire place.

"Should we check on her?"

Paul shook his head. "Oh no. That cry is our daughter's "chancing her luck" cry. In about ten seconds she'll fall back over." he smiled.

He picked up the screwdriver from the cushion and standing up, he dropped to his knees on the floor. He picked up a part of the walker and began to assemble it. Stephanie sat and listened mesmerised to the light whimpering sounds coming from the monitor. Her heart pounded a little bit faster knowing it was her baby girl. God, she still couldn't believe it was true. And then a few seconds later, just like Paul predicted, the monitor fell silent. Stephanie's mouth parted and she looked at her husband feeling slightly taken aback.

"How did you know that?"

"What?" he asked as he looked up at her.

"How did you know that the baby would fall back asleep." she explained.

"Because she always does." he smiled. "When she whimpers like that, you know she's trying it on. She's just looking for a cuddle or some attention."

Stephanie's blue eyes filled with sympathy. "What a shame to just leave her like that then. Shouldn't we pick her up?"

Paul chuckled as he waved the screwdriver in her direction. "See, that's got us into trouble in the first place. We were always picking her up and cuddling her every time she made the tiniest noise. She totally played on it having us up every hour of the night." Paul paused and grinned at her. "Our daughter is an absolute angel Steph, but trust me the slightest sign of attention and she turns into the devil child."

Stephanie chuckled and shook her head. "I don't believe you."

"Lift her at your peril." he warned jokingly as he turned his attention back to the walker. "She gets it from her mother by the way." He looked up and smiled at her. His smile faded as he noticed her fingers rubbing at her temple. His brown eyes were concerned. "Is your head still bothering you?"

Stephanie smiled and nodded. "It's actually why I came downstairs in the first place. I've got a thumping headache."

Paul immediately got to his feet and began to leave the room. "I'll go and get you something for that." he called out before he disappeared into the hallway.

Stephanie smiled to herself at his caring and attentive manner. The last time she felt like this John had made her drive to the store for the medication herself.

Her smile slowly faded at that memory though. She had to stop thinking of him. John was now a part of her past; a past that was somehow still the present time to her. God, no wonder she was so damn confused. She just wished she could remember something, anything about the past eight years. Thank God though her life hadn't turned out too badly. In fact it seemed to be pretty blessed from where she was sitting. She just wished she didn't feel so detached from it all like she was intruding in someone else's life.

"Here you go. I brought you some water too. I'll gag if you crunch those things in front of me." smiled Paul as he handed her the glass of water.

Stephanie couldn't help but chuckle in surprised amusement as he dropped the tablets in her palm. He obviously knew all her little habits. She very rarely took water with any medication. It was crazy to think that there was someone who knew every little detail about her. She popped the pills into her mouth taking a mouthful of cool water and began to watch Paul assemble the baby walker. That was when the thought suddenly hit her. Paul had seen her naked!

Stephanie coughed and spluttered as the water lodged in her throat.

"Steph, are you okay?"

She nodded her head feeling her cheeks flush red. Thankfully Paul hadn't noticed and satisfied she was fine, he had turned his attention back to the piece of white plastic in his hand. Stephanie wiped at her wet lips as she placed the glass down on the floor. She picked up the cushion and shifting to sit properly on the sofa, she tucked her legs underneath her hugging the cushion to her chest feeling terribly self conscious. God, Paul had seen everything. Absolutely everything! He'd touched every part of her body intimately and she had touched his. She wondered what it was like. She knew he had an incredible build or at least he had in the past and that wouldn't have changed. It certainly didn't look that way tonight. The track pants hugged his amazing ass perfectly. She wondered what the sex was like between them. She enjoyed sex. She always had. She could only imagine what it would be like with Paul. It was hopefully amazing and she imagined he was a great lover. He would definitely take charge that was for sure. There was no way Paul was submissive in any shape or form. He would be aggressive yet loving. Rough yet gentle.

"Steph?"

His deep voice snapped her from her thoughts. She noticed Paul staring at her curiously and she cleared her throat feeling a sudden rush of heat.

"Can you help me for a sec?" he smiled.

Stephanie quickly nodded her head and tossing the cushion to the side, she got down on the floor beside him. A short while later, the finished product was sitting just underneath the Christmas tree with the rest of the gifts wrapped in pretty paper. Stephanie stared at them in wonderment. "I can't believe the amount of presents under there." she said.

Paul nodded his head as he stifled a yawn. He stretched his arms out above his head exposing his toned stomach. Stephanie glanced away still feeling embarrassed about her earlier thoughts but had let her eyes linger long enough to admire his lightly tanned skin.

"We went a little overboard when we went shopping for our daughter." he smiled, his arms falling to his sides. He pushed back the blonde strands of hair from his face. "But like you kept telling me, you have to spoil a baby on her first Christmas."

"What did we buy her?" she asked feeling intrigued and curious.

"You'll have to wait and find out in the morning."

"Why?" she asked, her lips pouting.

Paul chuckled and shook his head. Unable to help himself, he reached out and touched her shoulder. He noticed Stephanie didn't flinch away as he rubbed her arm gently. "Well our daughter is too young to understand what's going on. Maybe you can open her presents and get excited for her."

"Really?" grinned Stephanie like a giddy, happy child.

Paul nodded his head and smiled fondly.

"Can't I do it now?"

"No." he scolded as he dropped her hand to her back and guided her towards the door. "And you're going to bed before you try and change my mind."

Stephanie laughed as they stepped out into the hallway. Paul switched off the light before closing the door. He followed her up the carpeted staircase and he smiled at her as she stood outside the bedroom. He shifted his feet resisting the urge to kiss her.

"Goodnight Steph." he hushed and turned to walk away. He stopped as he felt her hand on his arm stopping him. His brown eyes watched her carefully and he felt his heart pound in his chest as she licked her lips.

"Stay." she said shyly.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

Stephanie slowly nodded her head and walked into the bedroom. She could hear his soft footsteps behind her. Paul removed his sweatshirt and she turned away climbing into the bed. As she switched off the light, she felt the mattress shift underneath her as he got in beside her. His soft sigh echoed in the silent room as he settled underneath the covers and she could smell the faint trace of his cologne as she turned her head.

"Goodnight." she whispered into the darkness.

"Goodnight baby."

At first Stephanie lay still listening to his deep, steady breathing. After a moment she moved without thinking as she reached behind her and brought Paul's arm around her waist. He didn't say anything as he moved a little closer to her. Stephanie closed her eyes feeling somewhat comforted by his gentle heat. She didn't know why but she wanted to be close to him. She wanted Paul to hold her and more than that, she wanted to try and remember the love she felt for this man. Because every second she spent with him she could see exactly why she had fallen for him in the first place.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Stephanie stirred in her sleep shifting her head on the soft red cotton pillows. She inhaled the faint scent of the fabric softener. Her hazy mind recalled the freshness of spring as she slowly she opened her eyes letting them adjust to the bright morning sunlight poking through the blinds. Her blue eyes focused on the pale cream painted ceiling and she became aware of the sound of soft snoring beside her. She turned her head and came face to face with Paul. The husband she couldn't remember. The man she had shared her bed with last night.

His handsome face was relaxed and peaceful as he continued to sleep. A few loose blonde strands of hair had fallen across his forehead. Stephanie's fingers hovered in midair tempted to brush them aside yet the fear inside stopped her. For some reason she was scared to touch him. It seemed too intimate, too affectionate between them. But she couldn't deny she had felt some sort of connection between them as they had talked last night. Something she was sure she hadn't just imagined and something that made her want to lie next to him. She wanted to remember her husband. She wanted to remember her family and all the feelings that went with it.

As her hand rested softly on the comforter, she became aware of a heaviness on her chest. She glanced down and her mouth parted in alarm. Paul's hand was resting on her breast. She could feel his leg slide over the top of hers. Just then his fingers flexed and squeezed her breast through her pyjama top. Her breath hitched in her throat as she felt a rush of heat to her face. God, he was practically groping her in his sleep. She wondered if it was something he did on a regular basis. Maybe Paul liked to start the morning with a bang so to speak.

Stephanie shifted uncomfortably against him and slowly tried to move away from his embrace. She had to get the hell out of here before his hands roamed anywhere else. She knew she wanted to feel closer to him but certainly not like this. This was too much, way too much. Her body carefully slipped out from between the covers as she tried her best not to disturb him. Paul's hand fell to the mattress. Stephanie's foot hit the floor as she tried to slide her other leg away but his weight was effectively trapping her. She realised she needed a little more force to escape the solid muscle holding her down. Her hand gripped the edge of the nightstand and as she tried to balance herself, she gave her leg a yank. With a surprised yelp, she landed with a thud to the floor. Stephanie winced as she heard the throaty groan above her. Damnit. She'd obviously woken Paul. She heard the mattress creak underneath his weight. His head appeared as he looked in obvious confusion around the room.

"Steph?"

She sighed and cleared her throat, raising her hand up in the air. "Down here." she muttered in embarrassment.

Paul raked his fingers through his hair to reveal his pair of curious brown eyes. Stephanie's lips tugged upwards into a sheepish smile. She saw them twinkle with amusement at her.

"What on earth are you doing down there?" he asked, his voice thick with sleep.

"Em, I fell out of bed." Stephanie lowered her hand to the floor. "Sorry if I woke you."

His low chuckle made her smile widen. She watched as he threw back the covers. His big hand lifted to rub at his eye as he slowly rose from the bed. Stephanie swallowed thickly as the soft beams of daylight from the window fell across his toned, muscular chest. Christ, Paul truly was a sight to behold. His body was really beyond incredible. His muscles rippled as he moved. Not to mention the way his track pants hung low on his hips like that. She could only imagine what they were concealing. Stephanie looked down at the floor and shook her head slightly in attempt to clear it. Now was definitely not the time or the place to be having such thoughts. Not when she could still feel his hand on her chest, his hot fingers branding her skin through her top. God, not only had she lost her memory but she was clearly losing her mind too. She had to be to be thinking this way. It was only a matter of hours ago that she had been freaking out about him.

Stephanie tugged the hem of her pyjama top down her waist. That was when she sensed him watching her. She slowly raised her eyes to see him standing just in front of her. She swallowed thickly as he reached out his hand and smiled at her tenderly.

"Need a hand?"

She nodded at him gratefully and took his hand. It felt warm and slightly clammy. Paul helped her to her feet and she stood in front of him. She slowly tilted her head towards him. His thumb gently caressed her knuckles.

"Merry Christmas Steph." he hushed. She smiled. Somehow she had forgotten it was Christmas.

"Merry Christmas Paul." she replied. Her heart skipped a beat as he bent down and brushed his lips against her cheek. They lingered for a moment before he slowly pulled away. His big brown eyes were gentle as the pad of his thumb lightly traced her brow.

"How's your headache?" he asked.

"Actually, it's much better thanks." she smiled, touched by his concern.

"That's a nasty bruise you've got though."

"Eh, I'll live."

He grinned as his hand fell away. He resisted the urge to pull Stephanie into his arms and tell her how much he loved her. That he was grateful to have her standing here in front of him after everything that had happened. Instead he squeezed the hand he still held gently and then reluctantly let it slip from his grasp. His mouth parted and he was about to say something else when the low whimpers filled the room. Paul glanced across at the monitor and smiled just as those whimpers turned to cries. He grinned at Stephanie.

"Our daughter means serious business this time. This is her pick-me-up-and-feed-me cry."

She smiled and bit down on her lip feeling a nervous excitement about seeing the baby again. It would be different this time too. Aurora would be alert and awake and looking for attention. Suddenly she felt the overwhelming urge to just hold her. To try and feel close to the perfect daughter she had helped create.

Stephanie watched Paul wander across and retrieve the hooded sweatshirt he had worn the previous night. He pulled it over his head, his hair bristling with static. She cleared her throat as he flicked his hair over the hood and he lifted his eyes to meet hers.

"Can I do it?" she asked shyly. "Can I lift the baby?"

"Sure." he smiled as he opened the door. He stepped aside and let her pass into the hallway. His footsteps followed on behind her. Paul stopped as they approached the nursery door. His big hand rested on her shoulder. He squeezed it gently unable to resist touching her.

"Tell you what? I'll go downstairs and prepare her breakfast. You can bring her down when you're ready, okay?"

"Okay." she nodded smiling at him grateful at the chance to be alone with her.

As Paul disappeared down the stairs, she slowly opened the door. The baby was still crying. She felt a tug on her heart and immediately raced over to the cot. She was lying there, her tiny little nose scrunched with her distress. Her cheeks were red and wet with her tears. Her body was rigid and tangled in the pink and white quilt. Stephanie bent over and scooped her up in her arms. She placed her hand gently on the back of her head drawing her to her chest.

"There now, baby girl. Don't cry." she soothed as she gently rocked her.

The painful cries faded to a light whimper. Aurora felt so warm and precious and was so tiny in her arms. For some reason she had expected her to feel much bigger. As she kissed her daughter's matted hair, she inhaled the smell of talcum powder and felt her own eyes begin to gloss over. She had been totally unprepared for the emotions she felt as she held her child in her arms. It was like someone had flicked a switch on and she had all these feelings inside her, all these indescribable feelings that totally overwhelmed her. This was her baby, her own flesh and blood. She was so soft and warm and vulnerable.

Stephanie held her a little more tightly feeling the need to have her close to her. As a solitary tear slipped between her lashes, she wondered if this was what it felt like. Was this the emotion she experienced when she held her for the first time after giving birth to her? God, she wished she could remember. She was being robbed of so many memories. But she wasn't going to dwell on that. Not today. It was Christmas and she was determined to be happy.

She kissed her baby once more and turning towards the large sash window, she smiled at the twinkling lights on the bare branches of the tree outside. The low December sun made the frosted snow sparkle. It was so pretty out there with the pale blue sky. Stephanie shifted Aurora in her arms wanting her to experience the beauty. As her perfect, full cheek rested against hers, she walked her to the window cherishing the feel of her daughter.

"Look sweetheart. It's your first Christmas morning."

Stephanie turned her head as Aurora's big blue eyes stared straight ahead. She stood there for a second just watching her. Her heart felt so full just content to look at her perfect angel. Paul had been right. There was a complete look of amazement and wonderment in her eyes. Her perfectly formed lips were upturned in the most beautiful of smiles. Stephanie felt that full heart melt as she softly kissed her cheek. She really was truly blessed.

"Isn't it pretty out there?"

Aurora pressed her lips together and blew through them making a little raspberry sound. Her face appeared to be full of concentration as she continued to blow. Her tiny hands were clenched into fists. Small bubbles appeared before soaking her chin. Stephanie laughed as she carried her daughter from the nursery.

"Aren't you so clever making a noise like that?"

Her tiny cheeks puffed out one last time before her gorgeous face suddenly fell. Her big blue eyes squeezed shut as she began to cry once more. Stephanie tried to soothe her as she made her way downstairs but the baby was having none of it. Her hunger had obviously gotten to be too much. Once again, Stephanie hissed in shock as her bare feet hit the freezing marble. She had to remember to wear a pair of damn socks or slippers if she even had any.

She was trying to locate the kitchen when she heard the sound of his singing. Smiling to herself, she followed the sound of Paul's voice. A singer her husband was not. His skills were obviously in the ring. She could work out that much at least. His out of tune rendition of White Christmas was bordering on cringe worthy. But despite that, it made her grin. She rubbed the baby's back as she walked into the kitchen and admired the range of units and utilities. A television was mounted on the wall. Red and chrome was the theme. She liked the colour scheme. The other Stephanie had done not too badly with this room either and thankfully there was no sign of any Laura Ashley.

"Hello my little munchkin."

Stephanie smiled at Paul who had appeared with a bottle of milk in his hand. His brown eyes twinkled as he bent down to kiss his daughter's forehead. Her cries still hadn't subsided. Paul's finger lovingly grazed her chubby cheek.

"Aren't you grumpy when you are hungry in the mornings?"

He smiled at Stephanie as he handed her the bottle. "This should do the trick while her breakfast cools down. I'm afraid I overdid it with the microwave again."

Stephanie smiled at him uncertainly as she glanced at the bottle. She wasn't sure what to do. She'd never fed a child before. Well, not that she remembered. Paul seemed to sense her hesitancy and pulling out a stool, he smiled at her gently.

"If you sit down, I'll show you how to feed our little gannet."

She smiled at him gratefully as she sat on the stool. She adjusted Aurora in her arms as she tried to soothe her. She was still crying her eyes out and she felt slightly worried as she glanced at Paul.

"Are you sure she's just hungry? She's really upset."

"Trust me. The second she tastes that milk, she'll stop crying."

Stephanie smiled and took the bottle from his hand. Paul lifted Aurora's head on her slightly bent arm. He placed his hand on hers slowly lowering the teat to her daughter's mouth. There was only a mere second of resistance before her rosy red lips wrapped around it and the cries instantly stopped as her daughter sucked furiously. Stephanie stared in wonderment for a moment before she looked up at Paul with evident admiration in her eyes. He had wandered over to the counter and was pouring coffee. He sure seemed to know what he was talking about. He obviously took an active role in his daughter's life to know all this stuff. From the little she had seen, she could tell he was a wonderful father. His eyes had lit up when he had seen Aurora this morning. She wondered if they did that for her. Did her husband love her so much that those feelings radiated from him when he saw her? Watching him, she was surprised to realise that she secretly hoped that they did.

"A mug of coffee for the lady. Strong and black just how she likes it."

Stephanie grinned appreciatively at Paul as he placed the hot drink down in front of her. He tucked a lock of hair behind his ear as he smiled at her cautiously.

"What?" she asked before glancing at Aurora. Her little mouth was still sucking furiously. A tiny drop of milk had dribbled down her chin.

"You should probably wind her in a minute or so in case she gets a sore tummy."

Stephanie looked up and smiled. "Okay."

"By that time her cereal will have cooled."

"Cereal?"

Paul nodded. "It tastes nasty in my opinion but she seems to like it."

"Are you in the habit of eating our daughter's breakfast, Paul?" she teased.

"No, smartass." he grinned. "But I usually have to taste test. The last thing I want is to burn our daughter's mouth off."

His big hand gently ruffled the fine dark hairs on the baby's head. The wedding band on his finger sparkled in the daylight.

"So I was thinking of taking a shower before we open the baby's presents. Only if you're sure you'll be okay down here." His brown eyes were concerned. Stephanie nodded to reassure him.

"I'm fine."

"Are you sure?"

She smiled. "Would it help if I promise not to go racing down the driveway?"

"Well that and you promise to leave all and any vehicles alone."

"I'll try my best to restrain myself." she said, her blue eyes twinkling at him.

"Good. I'm glad to hear it." Paul hesitated for a second and Stephanie lightly kicked her leg at him.

"Go on. Get out of here."

She heard his footsteps on the tiled floor before she turned back to smile at Aurora content to watch her feed. Her big blue eyes looked up at her so full of trust. Stephanie began to hum along to the tune on the television feeling truly content and comfortable for the first time since the accident. Half an hour later she was sitting by the Christmas tree. Her baby girl was in her lap staring wide eyed at the lights. Her whole face was animated as she watched the twinkling colours. Breakfast had been successful, well by her standards anyway. Only a tiny portion of her breakfast remained untouched in the pink plastic bowl. She'd also polished off her bottle which left no doubt as to why her cheeks were so fat. Their daughter had quite the appetite. Not that she was complaining. Aurora was absolutely perfect. Her nose and ears, all just perfect.

"So this is where you're hiding out?"

Stephanie looked up at Paul. His damp strands were pushed behind his ears as he leant behind the mocha coloured sofa. He wore a faded pair of jeans and a white t-shirt. A matching white shirt hung unbuttoned and loose over them. The sleeves were partially rolled up revealing his thick forearms. A solid gold watch adorned his wrist. She wondered if it had been a gift from someone, maybe even a gift from her.

"I hope there has been no peeking or shaking." he grinned.

Aurora's head turned at his voice. She stared over at her father mesmerised by him as he sat down next to them on the floor. Her little hand wrapped around his outstretched finger. She brought it to her mouth covering it in drool. He wrinkled his nose at her affectionately before smiling at Stephanie.

"I think she could be teething. She's sticking everything in her mouth these days."

She smiled and fingered her necklace. "She tried to eat my pendant earlier."

"Let's hope Santa left her a teething ring under that tree then before all our possessions are sucked to death." He bent down kissing his daughter's forehead before carefully removing his finger from her mouth. "Will we let Mommy open your presents now?"

His daughter squealed a response as he lifted her from Stephanie's lap. He smiled at his wife as he bounced Aurora on his knee. "Dive in. I know you want to."

Stephanie grinned at him widely as she scrambled towards the tree. His heart lifted as he watched her rake through the presents. She always was a big kid at Christmas. She loved the magic of it all and it was even more special now they had their child to share it with. A child that gave him hope they would make it through this mess. The events of the last twelve hours had left him shaken up inside but he was determined to remain optimistic. Stephanie just needed time to remember her life and remember what she had. He had been so happy to see her with their daughter this morning. She had looked at her with so much love. Love that even lost memories couldn't take away from her. He only wished she felt that same way for him. That she could somehow feel the love they shared together. It was so hard to keep his distance from her when all he wanted to do was hold her tight and never let her go. Her accident had freaked him out big time reminding him just how precious she was to him. But he understood Stephanie needed her space and he would give her all the space she needed. And she did seem at ease around him. The fact that they had shared a bed last night was more than he had hoped for. And when she had pulled his arm around her, he had allowed the tiniest piece of belief to creep inside his heart.

"What's in this one?" asked Stephanie shaking a box and grinning at them both. She scooted across to sit in front of them, her blue eyes vibrant as they looked at their daughter. She placed the gift in front of her. "What's this sweetheart? Will you open it with Mommy?"

Paul watched both his girls as they opened all the presents, the various toys and gifts scattered on the floor. By the end of it the baby was more interested in the wrapping crunching a piece of shiny paper in her tiny fist. Her new delicate silver bangle peeked out from the sleeve of her white fleece pyjamas. Stephanie laughed as she placed the small colourful learning cube on the floor.

"Shane and I always used to the same at Christmas. We would get all these wonderful presents but end up playing with the boxes and wrappers."

Paul smiled at her as he pulled the paper from his daughter's hand preventing her from shoving it into her mouth. Aurora gave a disapproving whimper.

"I'm sure it drove our parents totally nuts." she laughed.

Paul licked his lips and watched Stephanie carefully as she gathered up the Christmas paper. He guessed it was something he had to bring up and soon. They were quickly running out of time. Clearing his throat, Paul passed Aurora the soft Eeyore toy and tried to ignore the way Stephanie's breasts poked out at him temptingly as she leant over in front of him. That woman would be the death of him. Averting his eyes, he focused on his daughter instead and bounced the cuddly toy playfully in front of her.

"Funny you should mention them." he said as the baby gave a small giggle.

Stephanie looked up from the floor and stared at him quizzically. She scrunched the paper into balls in her hands. "Who? My parents?"

Paul nodded his head and lifted his eyes towards her. "They're visiting us today."

Stephanie beamed widely. "Great. I wondered if we would see them for Christmas. Please tell me I remembered gifts for them."

Paul smiled and nodded his head. "You did. In fact, that's what you were doing just last night. You were delivering their presents when you……" His voice trailed off and he pressed his lips together. He looked away and continued to play with their daughter.

Stephanie instinctively reached across and touched his arm. She squeezed it gently and he slowly lifted his head. She could see the haunted expression in his eyes and she knew she wasn't the only one spooked by the events of her crash. God only knows how Paul was feeling especially when his own wife was treating him almost like a stranger. It wasn't intentional and she knew Paul understood that. God, he had been so patient and amazing with her. It made her all the more determined to remember if not for her, then for him. It was the least that he deserved. Stephanie smiled at him gently.

"When are they coming over?"

"In a few hours."

"That means I've got plenty of time to make myself presentable." She released his arm and stood up. She smiled down at him slightly nervous holding the torn paper in her hands.

"I don't want them to know Paul. You know, about my memory." She shrugged her shoulders and sighed. "It's just……well you know my dad. It will lead to a million and one questions and he'll have me down to that hospital quicker than you can say Christmas and that's not how I want to spend the holidays."

Paul nodded his head but grimaced slightly as he looked at her. It aroused Stephanie's suspicions and she looked at him curiously.

"What is it Paul?"

"Maybe I should call and cancel the whole thing."

"Why?" she asked surprised. "I mean, surely we can bluff our way through this. All you have to do is give me a crash course on what's happened over the last eight years."

"And that my dear is the easy part."

Stephanie looked at him confused. She licked her lips as he stood up jiggling Aurora in his arms. "What do you mean?" she asked him cautiously.

"What I mean is the events of the last eight years are not the only thing you need a crash course on. Unless of course you were lying to me all these years when you told me you couldn't cook."

Stephanie felt the dread begin to coil in the pit of her stomach as she realised what he meant. Her big eyes widened in alarm. "No." she whispered.

"I'm afraid so." Paul gave her a sympathetic smile. "We were all a little surprised when you volunteered to cook Christmas dinner for everyone. But you were so determined with it being Aurora's first one and all."

"Why didn't you stop me?" she cried feeling more than panicked.

"And risk getting my head in my hands?" he joked. Stephanie threw him a less than appreciative stare and he gave her an apologetic smile. He tentatively approached her, his big hand rubbing her arm. "Look, why don't we call and cancel. I'm sure Vince and Linda will understand."

"And have them suspect that something is up with me? I can't Paul!"

"Then there is nothing else for it. We'll have to give it a go."

"And you'll help me?" she asked hopefully. Her big blue eyes stared at him. He knew he couldn't refuse her even if he wanted to and he slowly nodded her head.

"Thank you." she cried as she threw her arms around him. He allowed his arm to rest on her waist relishing the feel of her being so close to him but then she had pulled away all too soon and he felt empty once again as he watched her race towards the door.

"Hurry up, Paul." she called out behind her. "They'll be here before we know it."

Paul sighed and looked at his daughter whose own big blue eyes were staring at him widely, sucking him in. "Don't you start with the eyes." he joked to her as they followed Stephanie out into the hall and he silently muttered a prayer that this would turn out to be easier than he feared.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Paul's thick fingers were fumbling with the buttons on his black dress shirt when he heard the bedroom door open. He glanced up to see Stephanie standing on the other side of the bed. She was staring at him strangely, her teeth pulling on her bottom lip. He could tell she had something on her mind and tried not to notice she was wearing nothing more than a fluffy red towel or that a droplet of water was slowly trickling from the wet strands of her hair towards the mounds of her creamy breasts that poked out from the top of the cotton. He cleared his throat and diverted his eyes making sure he didn't stare at her. The last thing he wanted to do was make her feel uncomfortable although it was becoming harder to keep his emotions in check especially now Stephanie was more at ease around him. He constantly had to remind himself not to touch her like earlier on when they were in the kitchen. Her body had brushed against him as she had reached across the counter and her face had been so temptingly close to his as she had laughed at something he said. It had taken everything he had not to pull her to him and kiss her. His head and his heart were in constant conflict at the moment and he felt totally overwhelmed by his love for her. The more he told himself to keep his distance, the closer he wanted her. The sooner she could remember everything, the better or he was in serious danger of losing control here.

"Paul, what happened to my breasts?" asked Stephanie.

Paul tried to contain his surprised snicker at her question as his brown eyes settled on his wife's confused face.

"They're a lot bigger than I remember them. Did I have surgery?"

She glanced down, her manicured hand prodding at the top of her right breast. Paul smiled as he tucked his shirt into the waistband of his black trousers.

"You got implants about five years ago. You'd lost a bit of weight back then and were adamant that you weren't walking around with melted packs of butter as you called them."

Stephanie lifted her head and frowned. "I did?" Her hand dropped to her side.

Paul nodded. "And before you ask they certainly never looked that way to me."

"So you didn't want me to get the surgery?"

"I just wanted you to do whatever made you happy, Steph. Your happiness was all that mattered to me." He paused for a second and smiled at her gently. "It's always mattered to me."

A slow smile crossed Stephanie's face as Paul walked over towards the dresser. She watched him fasten his gold watch around his wrist. He really was an extremely caring man and a handsome one. Every time she looked at him, she noticed something different about him, like she was seeing him for the very first time. And in a way she guessed she was.

She had noticed how perfect his hands were this morning. It was his nails that had caught her attention first. They were so clean and shiny and certainly weren't hands that belonged to a wrestler, well none that she had personally come across. She wished she could remember what they felt like on her skin. She imagined his touch to be loving and tender yet it would feel so firm and assured. Maybe if she hadn't been so freaked out this morning, she might have found out when he had grabbed her breast in bed. Not that she was ready for that level of intimacy between them. She wasn't, not by a long shot. She hadn't even kissed him yet for God sakes. Paul was still like a stranger to her although every minute she spent with him she could feel herself drawing closer to him. His total understanding and patience of her situation had put her at such ease. She didn't have to remember this man to know he was special yet she wanted to remember so desperately. She wanted to recall every single detail about Paul. She wanted to remember her feelings for him.

"Em, I don't want to alarm you, baby but it's almost three." said Paul interrupting her thoughts.

Stephanie's blue eyes widened as she glanced at the green digits of the alarm clock. "Oh my God! They are going to be here any minute and I'm nowhere near ready!"

She dashed towards the walk in closets when she suddenly stopped and looked between the pine panelled doors. "Shit! Which one of these is mine?"

"The one on the left." replied Paul. He shook his head as he watched her frantically rake through the clothes on the row of hangers. "Stephanie, calm down. Everything will be fine." he said trying to reassure her.

"Are you sure?" she asked as she pulled out a simple red dress. She rushed past him out of the closet and threw it down on the bed.

"If it helps, I don't think we're going to poison anyone."

"At least that's something." she said as she began rummaging through a drawer.

"It's the next one on your right." he told her knowing exactly what she was looking for. Stephanie smiled at him as she selected her lingerie. His big hand pushed back his blonde hair from his forehead. "Although I'm still not sure ketchup is the perfect ingredient for stuffing." he joked.

"God I know." Stephanie groaned loudly as she sat down heavily on the bed. She threw her lingerie on the comforter before leaning forward and placing her head in her hands. Her loud sigh echoed around the large bedroom. "I've screwed it up, Paul." she said despairingly.

The mattress shifted as Paul sat down beside her. His thick arm wrapped around her shoulder and he squeezed it gently. Her damp strands soaked the arm of his shirt as she allowed her head to lean against him. "You haven't screwed up anything, Steph. Chances are no one will even notice."

Stephanie lifted her head and her wide blue eyes looked at him in total disbelief. Paul chuckled lightly as his big hand rubbed her back.

"Okay, they probably will notice."

"Ya think?" she joked as she tucked a lock of hair behind her ear.

"You know, we could just get them really drunk before dinner and that way they won't taste anything. We can totally fuck up and no one will notice."

"Sounds like a plan." she smiled. "But if I don't get a move on, I won't even be ready for dinner."

"In that case, I'll leave you to get dressed." Paul stood up from the bed and smiled at her. "I'll just go and check on the baby. She should be waking up from her nap."

Stephanie nodded her head and watched him leave the room with a gentle expression on her face. The door clicked softly behind him. Fifteen minutes later she was ready and just putting in the diamond stud earrings she had found in her jewellery box when she heard the doorbell ring. She quickly checked her reflection in the mirror running her tongue across her teeth. She wasn't going to panic. Her parents wouldn't suspect a thing now Paul had filled her in on all the important details of the last eight years, like the fact she had two little nephews. God, she still couldn't believe her brother was a daddy. Just then she heard voices and Stephanie rushed out of the bedroom. She inhaled the spicy aroma of the Christmas garland as she walked down the impressive staircase taking the time not to trip in her high heeled boots.

"There she is at last." roared her father from the hallway. "Merry Christmas Stephanie." he beamed as he grabbed her into a huge bear hug.

"Merry Christmas Dad." she replied as she stepped back from him. He was still her father, the man who was larger than life to her. His hair was a little greyer but he was exactly the way she remembered him. She looked across and smiled fondly at her mother who was as beautiful as always. "Merry Christmas Mom."

"Merry Christmas honey." replied Linda hugging her tightly. As her gentle eyes scanned her daughter's face, she instantly frowned. "Stephanie, what's the bruise on your head? How on earth did that happen?"

Stephanie touched her shoulder and smiled. "Calm down, Mom. It was nothing. I just had a bump with the car."

"You crashed the car? When?" asked Linda, her voice laced with concern.

"Last night."

"And are you okay?" Her hand stroked her daughter's face.

Stephanie nodded. "I'm fine. Honestly. It looks worse than it feels."

"I hope you got checked over by a doctor."

"She did and she's absolutely fine." interrupted Paul. Stephanie smiled at him gratefully as he appeared by her side. He had remembered his promise to her. Aurora was in his arms and she looked absolutely gorgeous in a little pink dress. Her amazing eyes were wide and bright and her face animated. She swore she had the most beautiful and perfect baby in the world. She was gazing at Paul in total wonderment with the tiniest of smiles on her face.

"Merry Christmas little sister!"

Stephanie turned and grinned at Shane. "Merry Christmas." she beamed. Her oldest nephew was in his arms and she reached out and pinched his soft little cheek. She looked at him proudly. He was so cute and an uncanny mixture of her brother and his wife. "Merry Christmas sweetie."

Declan squealed and wriggled and Shane put him down on the floor. He grinned at his sister. "He hates being touched by anyone right now."

Stephanie laughed. "Where's Marissa?"

"She's in the living room feeding our youngest little monster. You know, I'm still surprised you offered to do all this."

"No one is more surprised than me, trust me!" laughed Stephanie ignoring the bubbles of panic in her stomach. If only her brother knew exactly how surprised she had been this morning when Paul had told her the news. She didn't have a clue about cooking anything that didn't come ready prepared never mind Christmas dinner for eight. Yet somehow with Paul's help and a cookery book they had discovered, she'd managed to throw together something that vaguely resembled a meal. Thankfully the other Stephanie had the sense to do some preparation before last night. The vegetables were peeled and ready to cook. The turkey was currently in the oven and she'd even had time for a few extras which of course, she was extremely proud about.

"I even made egg nog." she boasted as she began to follow her parents towards the living room. Declan was running up and down the hallway, his tiny feet pattering against the marble. He tugged on a leaf on the large yucca plant.

Paul bent his head as he pulled Shane conspiratorially towards him. "Take my advice man, stick to the wine." he hushed.

Shane snorted out loud causing Stephanie to curiously glance over towards them. As her parents disappeared into the living room she walked back across to where they were standing. Her heels clicked against the floor.

"What's so funny, you guys?" she asked. There was a silent pause as they looked at one another, the men trying their best not to appear suspicious.

"Nothing." said Shane eventually as he began pulling off his coat. He glared at Paul who had pretended to busy himself with the baby who was tugging loosely at the strands of his hair. He smiled at his daughter as he grabbed her chubby fist and tried to gently remove her fingers.

"Well it didn't sound like nothing." said Stephanie staring at them apprehensively.

"Paul just told me a joke that's all." lied Shane.

"What joke?"

Paul smiled sweetly at his wife. "Not in front of the baby dear." He bounced Aurora in his arms as he carried her towards the living room. Stephanie shook her head as she watched his large frame vanish through the doorway. Declan followed close on his heels.

"He's such a coward." scoffed Shane.

Stephanie smirked at her brother. "You're not exactly rushing to tell me either."

"It's probably best if I don't."

"Uh huh." she grinned.

"But now he's gone, you can tell me if you liked your Christmas present."

Stephanie's blue eyes looked at her brother quizzically. "What present?"

"The present Paul got you, of course. He's had it for months you know."

Stephanie stared at him blankly.

"He did give it to you, didn't he?" asked Shane confused.

Stephanie swallowed thickly as she slowly shook her head. It hadn't even crossed her mind that she hadn't exchanged gifts with her husband. She had been so focused on the baby and preparing the dinner. Paul hadn't even mentioned it to her either and that had more than likely been for her benefit. He probably hadn't wanted to put her in an awkward position. God, she was such an idiot at times. At that very moment Paul emerged from the living room. He pointed towards the kitchen and Stephanie pressed her lips in a tight smile.

"Steph, are you okay?" asked Shane.

She turned her head to smile at her brother. "Sure. Listen, why don't you head through to the living room and grab yourself a drink. I'll just go and help Paul check on the dinner."

Shane rubbed her arm affectionately before following her instructions. Stephanie entered the kitchen to see Paul rummaging in a drawer.

"Everything seems fine." he called out to her before closing the drawer. He smiled at her as he juggled the corkscrew in his hand. "Well, nothing smells like it's burning anyway."

"It will be a total miracle if we manage to pull this off." she sighed as she peered through the glass of the oven. Thankfully the turkey still resembled something edible.

"Well just to be sure I'm already plying your parents with the wine." winked Paul as he lifted up the corkscrew. He noticed the absent smile on Stephanie's face and his brown eyes looked at her curiously as he approached her. Her manicured fingers were twisting together in front of her. He knew straight away something was up. His big hand reached over and rubbed her arm gently.

"What's wrong, baby? Are you okay? Do you have a headache again?"

She shook her head, her soft strands shifting across her shoulders. "My head is fine." she replied.

"Then tell me what's bothering you."

"Nothing is bothering me."

"Liar!" smiled Paul as his fingers brushed gently through the ends of her hair prompting a small smile from his wife. She sighed softly as her blue eyes scanned his face. She realised she could hide nothing from him. Paul obviously knew her far too well. She cleared her throat and met his incredible eyes.

"Well if you must know, Shane just asked me if I liked my Christmas present."

"Oh." he replied simply.

"And that's when I realised we didn't exchange gifts this morning." Stephanie reached up to touch his face unaware that her simple intimate gesture caused Paul's heart to skip a beat. He leaned into her touch. "I'm so sorry, Paul. It didn't even cross my mind. I was so wrapped up in Aurora and then you sprung the thing about dinner."

"Hey, it's okay. You don't have to explain anything to me." He smiled tenderly at his wife as his big hand lifted to cover hers. "We can do the whole gift thing later once everyone has gone."

Stephanie's face fell with her disappointment. "I have to wait that long?"

Paul burst into laughter as their joined hands dropped to their sides. "You never were the most patient woman in the world." He placed the corkscrew down on the counter and smiled, tugging on her hand. "Come on. Follow me."

"Why? Where are we going?" giggled Stephanie as she followed him into the hallway.

"Upstairs."

Her feet followed on behind him up the staircase. She heard her parents talking in the living room. "Why upstairs?" she asked as she felt her head go giddy with the excitement.

"Because that's where I hid your gift."

"And you couldn't leave it under the tree like everyone else?" She reached the top of the stairs to see Paul shaking his head at her.

"Well if I could trust you not to peek, I would have left it under the tree. Come on. It's in the nursery."

Stephanie looked at him quizzically. "You hid it in our daughter's room?"

Paul stood by the doorway and winked. "Well, she promised on her formula she wouldn't tell you."

Stephanie laughed as they entered the nursery, the fresh baby smell immediately invading her senses. She noticed the small flakes of snow falling through the glass panes of the window and she wrapped her arms around herself as Paul reached up towards the high oak shelf on the wall. It was held a row of cuddly toys in all shapes and sizes. He rummaged behind a large soft rabbit with the cutest floppy ears.

"Here ya go." he smiled as he handed her a gift wrapped silver box. It was small and square. Stephanie took it from his hand and immediately shook it.

"It is definitely jewellery." she grinned.

"You'll have to open it and find out."

"I know I'm right." she boasted as she removed the paper. Her fingers fumbled with the lid of the box. As it sprung open, her breath caught in her throat. Nestled in the blue velvet was a band of tiny beautiful diamonds. They sparkled prettily in the natural light of the room. Stephanie swallowed the lump in her throat as she took the ring from the box. "Oh my God, Paul. It's just beautiful." she whispered.

"It's an eternity ring." he explained as he took hold of her left hand. He began to gently remove her engagement ring. "It's something to commemorate the birth of our first child together."

Stephanie's blue eyes glossed over as he slid the diamond band on her finger.

"Although I've been told some people give it on their first wedding anniversary. I kind of missed the boat on that one." smiled Paul as he slipped her engagement ring back on, his hand holding the tips of her fingers.

"It's perfect, Paul." hushed Stephanie as she admired it. "It's absolutely perfect."

"You like it?" he asked shyly.

"I absolutely love it." Her head lifted and her blue eyes met his. "Thank you so much." she whispered as her face moved towards his cheek. Paul's eyes closed as her lips brushed against it so softly.

"I love you." he hushed unable to hold his feelings back any longer. As he opened his eyes he saw the tender expression on Stephanie's face as she looked at him. He felt his heart swell with emotion as he gripped her hand tightly. "And we're in love, Steph. We're so in love." he told her.

"I know." she replied as her fingers intertwined through his. "I know because every time I look at you, I can see it in your eyes. I can feel it in your touch." She paused for a second as she reached up to brush a strand of hair from his face. "If there is one thing I trust, it's that you love me, Paul. I don't need to remember the last eight years to know that. Just like I don't need to remember to know what my heart is telling me right now."

Paul swallowed thickly as his brown eyes searched her beautiful face. "And what is it telling you?"

"That I'm falling for you all over again. You're the one, Paul." She lifted her hand to her chest and patted it gently. "I can feel it in here."

As a slow grin spread across his face, Stephanie wrapped her arms around him and breathed him in. His smell and his touch were so new yet so familiar to her. She could definitely feel a deep rooted connection between them, something that went beyond memories, beyond time. Her heart had already discovered what her head couldn't remember. Paul was home to her and he always would be.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

"The stuffing is……"

Vince paused as he stared at his fork twirling it round in his fingers, his nose wrinkling up as he studied it closely.

"Well, it's interesting that's for sure." he concluded.

"It tastes like ketchup."

"Shane!" scolded Linda as her big blue eyes glared at him sternly.

He immediately raised his brow in surprise at his mother's reprimand. "What? I'm just saying. It tastes of ketchup."

"I've got to agree with Shane here." offered up Vince as he looked at fork once more, his eyes wide in almost in silent wonderment as he continued to examine the food that was balanced on the end of the metal prongs.

"You know Paul, you should have had something written into your wedding vows." grinned Shane as he speared his potato.

Paul turned his attention from his daughter who was sitting in her highchair at the table on his left. She let out a light screech as she tried to bounce in her seat and her chubby fists beat down excitedly on the white plastic tray in front of her.

"What are you talking about?" he asked distractedly as he smiled at his daughter and lifted the bottle she had toppled down in her efforts causing a few droplets of milk to spill and trickle.

"How about I vow to forsake all others and I vow not to let Stephanie anywhere near the kitchen." Shane teased.

Paul somehow managed to bite back his grin of amusement as he looked across the table and saw Stephanie glower in her brother's direction. He knew he shouldn't laugh. After all, she was completely stressed out over this whole dinner and trying so hard to act normal after what had happened to her in the last twenty four hours. The last thing he wanted to do was upset her further and add fuel to the fire because Stephanie wouldn't admit it, but she was extremely sensitive about her culinary skills. She seemed to think that her inability to cook meant she failed in some way despite him constantly reassuring her he really couldn't give a crap. It's wasn't like he was being starved to death in any shape or form. But it seemed to be a big deal to her and three years of marriage couldn't shake it and neither could her loss of memory it seemed. And that thought actually brought a smile to his face because any sign of anything remotely familiar in Stephanie's behaviour gave him hope that this was a temporary thing and that it was only a matter of time before he got his wife back. And just being able to hold her in his arms and hear her say the things she had when he had given her his gift this afternoon had been more than he could have ever hoped for especially after seeing how scared and confused she had been after the accident.

"Shut up Shane."

Paul rolled his eyes and chuckled softly at Stephanie's child-like retort back at her brother. Her blue eyes were practically glaring back at Shane.

"Yes Shane, leave your sister alone." scolded Linda. "Stephanie has gone to a lot of trouble today and you should be thankful instead of acting so ungrateful."

"I am thankful!"

"Well you could at least try and show it." Stephanie pouted as she dropped her fork to her plate.

Shane stared silently back at her for a moment before his lips lifted in a sarcastic sweet smile. "Thank you Stephanie." he said in a sing song voice before lifting up his wine and taking a mouthful.

"You're such an ass." she shot back but she was unable to disguise her own smile that twitched at the corner of her mouth as she began to eat once more mentally making a note to completely avoid the strange coloured stuffing at the side of her plate.

A couple of hours later the meal was over and while the rest of her family were in the living room, she and Shane were in the kitchen finishing off the dishes. Paul had suggested it be her brother's penance for upsetting her at the dinner table and after a few choice words thrown in his brother in law's direction, Shane reluctantly agreed to help out. All in all the dinner had gone well and more than that, she seemed to have pulled it off. No one seemed to have a clue that overnight, she had suddenly lost eight years of her life.

"Where do these plates go, Steph?"

Pre-occupied with wiping the counter, she turned to look at Shane with an absent expression. "The plates?"

"Yes, the plates. You know the things you eat your meal from?"

She shook her head as she playfully swatted at him with the damp cloth. "I know what they are."

"Good. So where do they go?" he grinned.

Her eyes glanced over his shoulder to scan the vast array of wooden units that surrounded them and quickly realised she had absolutely no clue where they went. Of course she couldn't tell her brother that. How could she explain her reason for her lack of knowledge of her own kitchen?! And it was Paul who had taken out the plates in the first place. If she could just remember which damn cupboard he had opened and taken them from!

"Steph? The plates!" Shane reminded her as he gestured to the white china dishes in his hands.

She licked her lips and wondered if she should reluctantly admit her defeat when the voice behind her interrupted them and saved her.

"They go in the right hand cupboard above the wine rack."

Shane nodded and smiled at Paul who wandered into the room as he raked his big hand through his long blonde strands.

"Thank you. Nice to know someone in this house knows their way around their own kitchen." he teased.

"Yeah well the plates are about the only thing I remember." he said as Shane followed his instructions to stack the plates away. "We re-arranged some stuff the other day and I still don't have a clue where the damn corkscrew is."

He lightly scratched at his chin as he pulled out a drawer and began to clumsily rummage through it. But he quickly stopped what he was doing as he felt her eyes on him, watching him. Paul lifted his head and as his gaze locked with Stephanie's he swallowed thickly, feeling a warm familiarity in that moment. So many times over the years they would be on the road, backstage in an arena or in a crowded room. But no matter how busy they were or many hundreds of people separated them, he could always find Stephanie there. He would sense her overwhelming presence or just feel her watching him from afar. That's when he would look up and their eyes would meet in a silent, shared moment. A moment where they were the only two people that existed in the world and everything else around them would fall away. And it was a moment where he was always hit with this strange notion that he must have been lost somehow without him realising it because when he looked at Stephanie he was filled with the sudden feeling that he had been found and was now completely whole again.

"I think I saw the cork screw in the living room." she told him. "It was on the sideboard next to vase of flowers."

"It was?"

She nodded her head and her eyes briefly fluttered shut as Paul crossed the short distance between them to drop a kiss in her hair allowing her heart to skip a beat as she breathed in his gentle scent.

"Baby, you are a life saver." he said softly.

His thick finger affectionately grazed her cheek and as he walked out of the room,

Stephanie leant back against the counter slightly reeling from his touch and also reeling from knowing it was actually Paul who had been the real life saver. It was almost as if he had sensed without a word passed between them that she had needed him just then. He had rescued her, strengthening this bond she swore she was beginning to feel between them. A connection that she guessed had to come from sharing her life with him and not only her life but her heart too.

"Are you okay over there?"

Stephanie nodded her head as Shane's voice lifted her from her haze and her lips curved up gently as he closed the cupboard door and walked towards her. His brown eyes seemed concerned as they observed her carefully.

"Hey, I'm sorry about all that vow stuff. You know I was only ribbing you, right." he told her as he affectionately tapped his knuckles against her arm.

"I know."

"Although I do have to say in my defence that stuffing was the most disgusting stuffing I have ever tasted in my life." Shane commented crinkling his nose up to mirror that disgust and Stephanie suddenly burst out laughing, finding humour at his facial expression and not only that, now dinner was over she had become a lot more relaxed about the whole situation.

"It was revolting, wasn't it?" she agreed. "God knows what possessed me to use ketchup of all things."

She tossed the cloth to the counter and her smile faded as she let out a soft sigh. Her hand lifted to rub at her face wearily as she looked around the brightly lit kitchen.

"Steph, are you sure you're okay?" asked Shane.

She slowly nodded her head. "Yeah. Yeah I'm fine." she said, looking over at him and lifting her shoulder in a shrug. "It's just, I don't know. My head's been all over the place the last couple of days."

"Well you will go and crash your car."

Stephanie burst out laughing once more grateful for his comeback as she slid her arm through his and began to lead him through to the living room. "You know I'm so glad I've got you, Shane. I mean, I can always rely on your sympathy and support."

Shane grinned back and patted her left hand which rested in the crook of his elbow. As he glanced down her wedding rings glistened in the soft lighting of the hallway, briefly demanding his attention.

"So I see you got your Christmas gift." he said spotting the new addition that rested on her slender digit.

A soft smile traced Stephanie's lips as she stopped in her tracks and her fingers reached out to touch the delicate band of diamonds on her left hand.

"Do you know how nervous he was about giving you that?"

She lifted her head to look at Shane inquisitively and he grinned as he regaled her with his story.

"Paul must have asked me at least a hundred times if I thought you would like it. I swear to God I haven't seen him so nervous since the time he talked to Dad and asked for his permission to marry you."

"He asked for permission?" she asked in amazement, her eyes softening with the knowledge that Paul had done such a thing. She didn't notice Shane's brow crinkle with his confusion at her question.

"Of course he did. I thought you knew that."

Stephanie quickly realised her error and slipped her hand from his arm as she nervously raked her fingers through her chestnut strands and nodded at him reassuringly. "I....I did. I guess I forgot." she quickly explained.

But as they lingered outside the doorway to the living room, her curiosity was winning the battle over her need to be discreet about her memory loss and as she heard the gentle lilt of Paul's voice through the open door, she looked at her brother, rolling her lips together thoughtfully.

"And I suppose he would be nervous then too. Before the wedding I mean."

"Actually he wasn't. Don't you remember?" asked Shane. "Even you commented that he seemed pretty calm about the whole thing. I mean, people kept ribbing him about taking the plunge and what a commitment marriage was but he kept telling them he was getting to spend the rest of his life with you so why would he be even the least bit nervous about any of it."

Stephanie swore her heart melted in her chest as she smiled almost dreamily and stared towards the living room. "Paul really said that?"

"Yeah, he did. Look Steph, are you okay because honestly, you're acting a little weird here."

"What? You mean even weirder than usual?" she joked trying to ease the obvious concern she could see on her brother's face as he stared at her strangely. She was relieved when a slow smile began to tug at his lips.

"Okay. So maybe you're not acting that weird."

"Thanks." she grinned as she nudged his hip playfully but her smile faded as she looked at him fondly sensing that despite his upbeat tone Shane was genuinely worried about her and she supposed he had every right to be. They'd always been close and her brother always did have the uncanny knack when knowing something was up.

"But seriously, I'm okay." she assured him. "I'm just tired I guess. We were up late with Aurora's gifts and then there was the dinner and everything……"

Her voice trailed off as she lifted her hands in the air and sighed.

"Yeah well thank you. For dinner I mean." he smiled appearing to be momentarily appeased with her reply as he guided her into the fresh airy living room. "I have to admit it was better than expected."

"Yeah well I can't take all the credit." Stephanie said as her heels clicked against the polished floor and she absently smiled at her mother who was sitting on the sofa. "Paul helped with a lot of it. In fact, he practically helped with everything."

Thinking of her husband, she turned her head to look for him. He was standing over by the Christmas tree with their daughter safely cradled in his huge arms. Aurora's perfect fingers gripped the ends of his blonde hair as her big eyes stared transfixed at a silver bauble that he playfully jangled for her from the spruce branch. She was completely mesmerised and her attention only shifted when he said something to her, tapping his long finger against her nose and making her laugh out loud. It was a laugh that came all the way from the tips of her tiny fat toes and a laugh that warmed Stephanie's heart. God, she loved her beautiful laugh and more than that, she loved seeing Aurora with Paul. There was something about them interacting together that touched her in ways she just couldn't explain. It was like this huge jumble of emotions that seemed to want to hit her all at once. They were emotions that would only ever be connected to her husband and her baby daughter; her own little family.

"He's so great with her, isn't he?" she beamed proudly.

Shane smiled, nodding his head in agreement. "She's daddy's little girl, that's for sure."

"Yeah well there's nothing wrong with that." she replied turning to him and grinning as she stood on her tiptoes and dropped a kiss on his cheek.

"I'm just going to check on my husband and daughter."

Her footsteps were slow and deliberate not wanting to interrupt the moment Paul was sharing with the baby but it was if he knew she was there because he immediately lifted his head and smiled so warmly his whole face lit up beautifully and Stephanie felt a light fluttering in her chest.

"Hey."

"Hey." she smiled as she reached for her daughter's hand feeling her warm fingers curl around her manicured digit and grip it tightly. Aurora immediately brought it to her mouth and her lips wrapped around it as she began to suck vigorously causing Stephanie to giggle at the sensation.

"I think you're right about her teething." she surmised.

"Of course I am." Paul announced almost proudly. "I mean, you may not remember and all but I think you'll find I'm usually right about a lot of things."

His brown eyes sparkled back at her pulling her in and Stephanie chuckled.

"God, you're incorrigible." she teased as she pulled her finger from the baby's mouth. Aurora still clutched hold of it tightly as Paul looked deeply into her eyes.

"And you're beautiful." he told her softly.

The sincerity in Paul's words and the tender expression on his face made her breath catch in her throat and Stephanie pressed her lips together, swallowing thickly needing a second to find her composure. She had a feeling every little thing about this man got to her including the way he was looking at her now like she was the most important person in the world to him.

"You okay?" he asked her.

As she felt his gentle stare work its way through her, Stephanie suddenly she realised that despite everything, she was. She honestly really was. "Yeah. I'm fine." she said, smiling at him softly. "I'm absolutely fine."

Paul's deep brown eyes never left hers as his hand lifted to lightly run his fingers through her hair. Stephanie felt a strange sensation in the pit of her stomach, almost like bubbles were floating there.

"Hey you guys. I see mistletoe."

Paul rolled his eyes dryly at the taunt delivered behind them and briefly glanced at the green sprig that dangled just in front of them. He was the one that had hung it there just last week but was now beginning to regret that decision despite the opportunity it offered.

"Shane, get out of here." he said turning to stare at his brother in law.

"Are you saying you don't want to kiss your wife Levesque because you know mistletoe is tradition and you don't mess around with tradition!"

As Shane grinned between them, Paul shook his head and turned to Stephanie checking she was okay and wasn't feeling uncomfortable by the whole stupid situation. God knows, he didn't want her freaking out about a kiss under the mistletoe. Things may have gotten easier between them today but he knew that didn't mean she was ready for this. The closest she'd got to was a soft peck on the cheek. And despite everything inside him wanting to take her in his arms and kiss her right now, he knew he had to take this slowly for Stephanie's sake. He wasn't going to rush anything and he certainly wasn't going to let her be pushed into anything she didn't want to do.

However, Shane seemed to have other ideas.

"Here, give me the baby. We don't want to traumatise her on her very first Christmas."

Before Paul could say a word, Shane had lifted Aurora from his arms and he shook his head in amusement as he watched him carry his niece over to the sofa.

"Your brother is a pain in the ass." he commented to his wife.

"Tell me something I don't already know." she grinned back, rolling her eyes as she glanced over at him holding their baby girl.

"But look, this whole mistletoe thing," Paul began as he guided her into the corner of the room where the beautifully decorated Christmas tree blocked them from view, affording them some privacy from the rest of the family. "You don't have to do it, you know." he told her.

The twinkling lights danced across his handsome face and Stephanie was touched by the caring expression she saw as he looked back at her. She knew what Paul was doing here. He knew how freaked she had been ever since the accident and he had been so incredibly understanding and patient with her. But now, any fear she may have felt at any intimacy between them had suddenly slipped away. Instead there was this overwhelming clarity in her mind, a clarity that made her realise she was falling in love with this man all over again and right here was where she was supposed to be because quite simply and without question, she and Paul were meant to be. She knew that and more important than that, she felt it with every fibre of her being.

Fondly smiling at her husband, Stephanie took a step forward and her big blue eyes were shining with a soft tenderness as she reached for him, shyly taking hold of his hand and feeling his gentle warmth work its way into her once more.

"I know I don't have to but I want to."

Her fingers firmly slipped into his, intertwining them as she pulled him closer to her. She could feel the hard metal of his wedding band against her knuckle as she stood on her tiptoes, tilting her head to lean into him.

"I want you to kiss me, Paul." she breathed against his ear.

She turned into him and her eyes fluttered shut as their noses lightly grazed together. Her chest was dancing with anticipation as she felt his warm breath on her skin and her own breath caught in her hot throat as their mouths finally found one another.

Paul's lips gently pressed down on hers and Stephanie sighed softly as she melted into him. Her hand lifted to rest on his shoulder and her fingers touched the soft blonde strands that sat there. They lightly gripped hold of his hair, gently tugging him closer as she kissed him back. The kiss was so perfect and warm and enticing. Her body was tingling all over and her heart was racing in her chest. Yet despite the thrill, there was something else there. A familiarity she had felt when Paul had held her in his arms a few hours ago and confirmed what she already felt deep in her soul. Paul was the one and in his arms was exactly where she belonged. There was nowhere else in the world she wanted to be.

Paul's mouth parted a little wider deepening the kiss and as his tongue gently brushed over hers, that's when she felt it. This strange sensation like she was floating and her head was starting to spin. Everything was becoming black and she could feel herself getting dizzy as she was consumed by a thick darkness. Stephanie's fingers reached for Paul to try and make it stop but she was clutching at air.

And that was when she heard it. There was a distant voice calling her name and somehow she knew she had to focus on that voice. It would stop her fading into the darkness and eventually the voice became louder and closer to her. Stephanie's eyes fluttered open. She could feel the chill of the night air prickle her skin and her bottom lip was trembling.

"Stephanie, are you okay?"

Her confused blue eyes looked up at the huge man crouched down in front of her. He looked worried as he stared intently at her. She swallowed hard finding it hard to breathe as his fingers brushed away the hair that hung over her face. He looked a little younger, his hair was longer and he was freshly shaven but there was no mistaking who it was. His touch was extremely tender and so familiar to her. It was Paul.

"Can you get up? You must have slipped on some ice or something."

As he hovered over her, she realised she was lying somewhere outside and she could feel the cold wetness of the ground below her. She was also vaguely aware of the sound of music in the background as she tried to lift her head. It sounded like a party and judging by the tinsel hanging around her neck, it was a Christmas party. The red garland glittered in the bright moonlight catching her attention and she could see she was wearing her favourite dress, her black Donna Karan dress.

"Here, let me help you up."

Paul's warm fingers lightly gripped her arm. She felt the slow burn of his touch as he helped her to her feet and she stood in front of him, mesmerised by him, feeling like she'd just stepped out of this hazy wonderful dream, a dream that had somehow involved him in some way.

As she absently brushed down her dress, she could feel Paul's concerned brown eyes watching her. They seemed almost black in shadows of the night. Stephanie's facial expression softened under the weight of his stare and her heart skipped a beat somehow knowing that in that moment, she was looking straight at her future. A future that was so clear and real in her mind she had no doubt whatsoever that Paul was the happily ever after she was searching for. She didn't know how she knew that but she just did. It would only be a matter of time before they would be together.

As her lips curved up gently with that thought, Stephanie looked back at the man that she knew pretty soon would become everything to her. Paul Levesque was going to be the rest of her life.

"I knew it would be you." she whispered softly.

The End!


End file.
